Coventry suffered their own Groundhog Day as the season got off to the flattest of starts at the Butts Park Arena.

Park were the first side to win a competitive game at Cov's new home last year, and they pulled it off again in a match which followed a depressingly similar pattern with a smash-and-grab forwards try deep into injury-time which Arno De Jager converted to secure the points.

But, disappointing as last season's result was, it was nothing to the numbness felt around the ground this time.

After the way Cov finished last season and the promise of their pre-season games, there was a real belief that this could be the season in which they mount a strong challenge on the top of National Division One. Next month's home game against Harlequins had already been touted as a potential title-decider.

Such talk now seems ridiculously premature, and the view among the fans afterwards suggests a battle at the other end of the table could be more likely.

Robbed of the influence of Jon Higgins at fly-half, forcing Richard Davies to step up from full-back, Cov struggled to find any penetration in midfield and, despite a commanding first-half performance in the line-out and scrum, they played at such a pedestrian pace around the base of the rucks that Park were able to keep their defensive shape - something Cov themselves failed to do when it was most needed.

First-day nerves under the weight of expectancy? "Yes and no," said head coach Mike Umaga. "That's all part of the game - it' s how you handle it, and we obviously didn't. Sometimes it's what happens when you come under pressure.

"You can t write the script. Everything that had been good for us pre-season wasn't today. The only thing we can take out of it is a bonus point, albeit a losing one, and we just didn't play well.

"We weren't smart enough at the end. We' d done the hard graft to get back in front and then threw it away - it was dumb rugby. There were some pretty disappointing performances and people have got to look at themselves."

It also started so well for Cov with a try after just six minutes, Davies running strongly into the Park 22 and the ball recycled smartly for Dave Tiueti to send Dan Farani over by the posts.

James Moore converted, and although Phil Jones posted a quick penalty reply, Moore accepted a simple kick for a 10-3 lead on 24 minutes.

By this point Cov had already taken four Sedgley line-outs, and three minutes later their pack shoved the visitors back and off the ball at a scrum in mid-field.

Sadly, their was a one-dimensional look to the rest of their game and all the possession came to nothing before Jones exchanged passes with winger Jon Feeley and sliced through for a try which he duly converted.

Jones limped off after colliding with a team-mate as Cov wing Dave Millard departed with a hamstring pull, and Moore put over a penalty from the last kick of the half to send Cov in with the advantage.

Moore made it 16-10 soon after the restart, but De Jager kicked a penalty before converting when Cov lost possession just over halfway and opened up at the back as Dave McCormack went over.

The alarm bells were ringing as Cov became more and more bogged down, only to grab a lifeline on 71 minutes when Craig Richards brushed off a weak tackle by De Jager to go in between the posts, Moore converting.

It was time to run down the clock, but Moore conceded a penalty in Park's right corner for kicking the ball away to prevent a quick line-out and a couple of missed touches and a knock-on only served to keep the pressure on the home side.

De Jager kicked a penalty into Cov's left corner, and although the line-out drive was held, it was at the expense of another penalty and line-out which this time saw Park drive over for Jon Skurr to touch down midway out. De Jager's kick crossed only inches inside the left post, but it was enough.